56
B. A. Balogun
philosophers. More recent reviews have identified three main domains in ‘leisure’.
First, leisure is associated with free time (Ogunwuyi 1998, cited in Suleiman 2016).
Cordes (2013, p. 2) argued contrarily, referring to the vast amount of free time available to prisoners but who cannot claim to have leisure. It is, therefore, reasonable
to state that while free time does not always translate into leisure, it remains an
important resource for leisure. Second, it is believed that all activities in which we
engage that are not related to work and chores can be classified as leisure activities
(Cordes 2013, p. 3). Here, activities are classified based on whether participants are
physically active or inactive. One could sit down with the internet during his leisure
time or one could take a brisk walk up and down the street. While the former is
a physically inactive engagement, the latter demands a lot physically in terms of
energy expenditure. Stakeholders have weighed both and found the latter to be more
worthwhile (Suleiman 2016; Omodior and Ramos 2019). In today’s world, information technology has given formal work the opportunity to invade homes. The internet
has brought tremendous disruption to the way we work (Leung and Lee 2005). The
recent COVID-19 pandemic has worsened the dynamics, potentially bringing more
physical inactivity to people (Meister 2020). Meanwhile, physical inactivity has had
the reputation of being a major risk factor for global ill health and mortality (AkaroloAnthony and Adebamowo 2014). On the other hand, leisure time physical activity
(LTPA) is strongly correlated to health and a health-related quality of life (Omodior
and Ramos 2019; Akarolo-Anthony and Adebamowo 2014). In fact, WHO has made
awareness about physical activity one of its global cardinal goals by formulating a
draft action plan on the matter and circulating it to member states at the 71st World
Health Assembly in Geneva (World Health Organisation 2018). LTPA is no longer
being viewed as a personal matter but as a fundamental and prioritised social issue
for the community to deal with (Biernat and Piatkowska 2020). Thus, the emphasis
is on physical activity.
Third, leisure requires the right state of mind (Cordes 2013, p. 5; Suleiman 2016).
Leisure should instil a sense of freedom and control for the subject in question; it
should not be of compulsion. It is when the motivation to engage in leisure activities
is intrinsic that optimal satisfaction is derivable. Thus, it is the state of mind that
determines leisure, not the activity itself. An athlete who spends an extra hour for
exercises after team training cannot be said to be engaged in leisure. This is because it
is an exercise coming from extrinsic motivation—his goal to be better and increase his
chance of success at tournaments. On the other hand, a banker, who after returning
home from his paid employment does the same exercises, is driven by intrinsic
motivation—physical fitness and social interaction. This banker is not obligated to
the same routine, because options are available to him unlike the athlete who has to
master his art in order to get better at it. While the athlete may get more exhausted
by his extra work, the banker is likely going to feel rejuvenated. In summary, putting
the construct of ‘leisure’ in context, we expect an availability of free time to engage
in physical activities that are driven by intrinsic motivation.
The definition of the term ‘recreation’ has followed a trajectory similar to
‘leisure’—no universally accepted definition (Cordes 2013, p. 7; Suleiman 2016).
Recreation involves all activities in which a person or group of persons engage for
B. A. Balogun
philosophers. More recent reviews have identified three main domains in ‘leisure’.
First, leisure is associated with free time (Ogunwuyi 1998, cited in Suleiman 2016).
Cordes (2013, p. 2) argued contrarily, referring to the vast amount of free time available to prisoners but who cannot claim to have leisure. It is, therefore, reasonable
to state that while free time does not always translate into leisure, it remains an
important resource for leisure. Second, it is believed that all activities in which we
engage that are not related to work and chores can be classified as leisure activities
(Cordes 2013, p. 3). Here, activities are classified based on whether participants are
physically active or inactive. One could sit down with the internet during his leisure
time or one could take a brisk walk up and down the street. While the former is
a physically inactive engagement, the latter demands a lot physically in terms of
energy expenditure. Stakeholders have weighed both and found the latter to be more
worthwhile (Suleiman 2016; Omodior and Ramos 2019). In today’s world, information technology has given formal work the opportunity to invade homes. The internet
has brought tremendous disruption to the way we work (Leung and Lee 2005). The
recent COVID-19 pandemic has worsened the dynamics, potentially bringing more
physical inactivity to people (Meister 2020). Meanwhile, physical inactivity has had
the reputation of being a major risk factor for global ill health and mortality (AkaroloAnthony and Adebamowo 2014). On the other hand, leisure time physical activity
(LTPA) is strongly correlated to health and a health-related quality of life (Omodior
and Ramos 2019; Akarolo-Anthony and Adebamowo 2014). In fact, WHO has made
awareness about physical activity one of its global cardinal goals by formulating a
draft action plan on the matter and circulating it to member states at the 71st World
Health Assembly in Geneva (World Health Organisation 2018). LTPA is no longer
being viewed as a personal matter but as a fundamental and prioritised social issue
for the community to deal with (Biernat and Piatkowska 2020). Thus, the emphasis
is on physical activity.
Third, leisure requires the right state of mind (Cordes 2013, p. 5; Suleiman 2016).
Leisure should instil a sense of freedom and control for the subject in question; it
should not be of compulsion. It is when the motivation to engage in leisure activities
is intrinsic that optimal satisfaction is derivable. Thus, it is the state of mind that
determines leisure, not the activity itself. An athlete who spends an extra hour for
exercises after team training cannot be said to be engaged in leisure. This is because it
is an exercise coming from extrinsic motivation—his goal to be better and increase his
chance of success at tournaments. On the other hand, a banker, who after returning
home from his paid employment does the same exercises, is driven by intrinsic
motivation—physical fitness and social interaction. This banker is not obligated to
the same routine, because options are available to him unlike the athlete who has to
master his art in order to get better at it. While the athlete may get more exhausted
by his extra work, the banker is likely going to feel rejuvenated. In summary, putting
the construct of ‘leisure’ in context, we expect an availability of free time to engage
in physical activities that are driven by intrinsic motivation.
The definition of the term ‘recreation’ has followed a trajectory similar to
‘leisure’—no universally accepted definition (Cordes 2013, p. 7; Suleiman 2016).
Recreation involves all activities in which a person or group of persons engage for